title: Capping of the dental pulp mechanically exposed to the oral microflora -- a 5 week observation of wound healing in the monkey.
abstract: The healing capacity of mechanically exposed and bacterially contaminated dental pulps was assessed in monkeys after capping with 2 commercial Ca(OH)2 containing compounds. One hundred eighty teeth in 7 monkeys were employed, 45 as untreated controls and 135 as treated exposures. Class V buccal cavity preparations resulting in pulpal exposure were prepared, left open to the oral cavity for 0, 1, 24 h or 7 days and employed as controls, or debrided, capped, restored with amalgam and left undisturbed for 5 weeks as treated exposures. Zero and 1 h untreated exposures presented damage from the mechanical trauma only, whereas 24 h and 7 day pulp wounds exhibited pronounced infiltrations of polymorphonuclear and mononuclear leukocytes. In addition, the 7 day exposures demonstrated several teeth with partial and total necrosis. Treated 0, 1 and 24 h exposures demonstrated wound healing, minimal pulp tissue inflammation, reorganization of soft tissue and formation of new hard tissue at the exposure site in 86 of 99 teeth. Treated 7 day exposures healed less frequently, showing signs of dentin bridging in 15 of 27 teeth. This study indicated that mechanically exposed and orally contaminated dental pulps in monkeys have a high capacity to resolve inflammation and initiate healing with new dentin formation at the exposure site when treated as described.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018407:Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; D002126:Calcium Hydroxide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003782:Dental Pulp / Q000382:microbiology / Q000502:physiology*; D003785:Dental Pulp Capping; D003789:Dental Pulp Exposure; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D011671:Pulpitis / Q000503:physiopathology; D013997:Time Factors; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D002126:Calcium Hydroxide